What a Beautiful Wind
by DavidOfBreath
Summary: Less than a year after Giorno's successful ascension to the head of Passione, he sets his sights on tracking down information in a small town along the coast of Japan, the home country of his mother. At the same time, the people that call this town home go about their daily lives, unaware of threats that loom on the horizon.
1. Chapter 1: A Beautiful Wind

What a Beautiful Wind

Author's Notes: While I've borrowed some aspects from Purple Haze Feedback for this story, do not expect it to line up with its continuity. My first few chapters for this will likely be short, working as setup for the individual groups in play, but I hope to eventually write out longer chapters closer to the end.

"Hey, Giorno," Mista started, "I get that you're looking for someone, but why did we fly all the way to Japan by ourselves? You're the Boss now, this is something that someone else would gladly do for you."

Giorno looked around the city square as he answered. "Sending goons out could draw too much attention, and groups that are aware of our actions could misread our intentions."

Mista waved his hand, "Yeah, but… wouldn't the head of the mob going to a random town in Japan raise a bigger red flag?"

Trish chimed in as she caught up with them, holding a hand out towards Mista. "Giorno said his mother is Japanese, Mista."

Mista reached into the turtle in his bag, pulling out a bottle of mineral water and handing it off to her. "I don't see what that has to do with any of this! The Boss is still running around some random town along the coast in another country!"

"Yes, but it could be rationalized as him looking to meet up with extended family, or even just visiting a place he has a heritage with."

Mista paused for a moment. "I suppose that would make some sense… but it still doesn't stop people from targeting us in the meantime!"

A muffled voice came from Mista's bag. "I believe that's what you're here for, _Monsieur_. Also, I should inform you that Number One and Number Two have opened your luggage and began working with the others at tearing open the salami that you packed for the trip."

As Mista stopped and began scrambling to reach into his bag to stop them, Trish walked closer to Giorno. "Although, I'm not sure why you had my manager set up a show here, along with having me fly with you instead of coming traveling with my band. They did end up getting delayed, so in the end it saved me a lot of boredom having to wait out at some airport. But I can't even speak Japanese, and I doubt that many people around here speak Italian, so this show is probably going to flop."

"That's what your manager told you then?" Giorno paused as he finally spotted their hotel, talking as they walked in. "Your manager was already setting a show up here before I came in. Most likely, he realized his oversight after already sinking the investment on this show, and used me as an excuse for why you were coming here. I only went to ask about better hotels in the area since he's set up international tours before."

"_Really_? We _just happened_ to have the same destination?"

"I've asked several members of Passione, and many of them seem to think that stand users are drawn together like magnets through some kind of fate. Take it as you will, fate or some effect of the evolution brought about by the arrow, but either way it likely wasn't just a coincidence that we all ended up here. Although, either way, it's good to see you again Trish. I've heard that your band has been making quite a name for themselves."

"And I've heard that you've been making big strides towards filtering out drug distribution in the mafia." she looked down somberly, "My drummer has the marks on his arm still… he told us that his former dealers brought him to a building where mob men and unofficial doctors were working, a place where they helped him get away from his habits."

"Just taking the drugs off the street wouldn't do anyone any good. The withdraw from having a supply cut off could kill someone, especially a child that's addicted. It's taking quite a bit of mob funds to do, but the rehabilitation centers are the first step towards improving the mob and Italy." Giorno stood with Trish by the elevator. Mista, having finally wrestled the food away from Sex Pistols, walked to the service desk and was working at getting their room keys. "But it hasn't been easy. Not everyone is actually buying that I'm the Boss. The sudden change in priorities doesn't help my case, but anyone smart enough to realize it is also smart enough to realize that since the 'real Boss' hasn't tried to stop me, he's likely dead, with myself being the person most likely to have killed him." Giornor turned towards her. "Can you still sense him?"

Trish nodded her head lightly. "Yeah, I can. I don't know what kind of hell he's living now that your Gold Experience Requiem is putting him through, but… after what he's done, it's almost comforting to sense that he's still alive, since it means that he's still being punished, if that makes sense."

After a great amount of arguing from the counter, a defeated Mista joined the others, the three of them riding the elevator up to the fourth floor, using their key to unlock the door to room forty-four. As Mista argued with Trish at the entrance to the room about whether or not he would go in, Giorno walked over to the window, looking out over the town around them. "Morioh, huh? It certainly looks like a beautiful town." Giorno opened a drawer and pulled a tourist guide from it. "Mista, tell the person at the desk that we found a rat in our room, that should get us a decent room change." As he spoke, he got to work, Gold Experience Requiem emerging from his psyche and giving life to that which had none.


	2. Chapter 2: Guests

Chapter 2: Guests

Josuke couldn't maintain eye contact as he walked up to the dock. The conversation he had with Jotaro was still playing back in his head.

"_Josuke, I need to let you know that Joseph is coming to visit tomorrow."_

"_Tch. Fine, alright, I'll see him, but make sure he knows that the usual rule still applies; no seeing my mom."_

"_Ah, that actually shouldn't be a problem."_

"_Yeah, yeah, I know he's got it in his head by now, but I'm still going to drill it in every time."_

"_No, you see…"_ Josuke raised his eyes as Jotaro's voice echoed, and he looked to the person accompanying Joseph, _"His wife demanded to go with him this time."_

Joseph was walking slowly, his cane creaking underneath him. "I told you, it would've been much faster to fly."

The woman with him walked with a cane as well, but she seemed to be moving more steadily. "Joseph, three out of five of the plane rides you've taken have ended in a crash. I'd be out of my mind to get on a plane with you."

"Eh? I've had plenty of other plane rides that haven't crashed."

"Even then, you've still been in three plane crashes, Joseph, three!"

"Yes, yes, you're right, I understand. Oh!" Joseph finally noticed his son at the end of the dock coming towards them, "Josuke…" an uneasy glance shifted to his wife for a moment before looking back to his son. "Josuke, this is my wife, Suzi-Q."

She and Josuke stared at one-another in silence for a few moments before Josuke bowed his head nervously, "um… Hello, welcome to Morioh. Let's see… surname goes last, right? I'm Josuke Higashikata."

She blinked a few times before clapping her hands together. "Amazing! Your english is good!"

"Ah! Thank you, but I didn't actually learn much of it myself, that'd be a bit complicated to explain though."

Joseph turned to her, "Suzi-Q, I told you about Rohan, right?"

"Hmm… He was… the cartoon maker, right? The one that could change things about someone? Wait, so he can make someone know a language?"

Josuke chimed back in, "Yeah, he found that out while testing out the extent of Heaven's Door's abilities. But even though it's making someone know something they didn't before, it still doesn't work for similar things. He wrote on Koichi one time 'Koichi will always know which cup the rock is hidden under,' then he put a pebble under a cup and shuffled them around while Koichi was blindfolded. While it did seem to increase his accuracy, he still got it wrong a few times."

"Eh? Really? That's bizarre." she walked up to Josuke and held out her free hand. "Well, either way, it's nice to meet you Josuke."

Josuke, clearly a bit surprised, paused for a moment before reaching out and shaking her hand, "You too, Suzi-Q."

Joseph, in the back, breathed a sigh of relief. As he did, he felt something brush past his leg. Looking down though, he saw nothing. "Shizuka, you shouldn't try to sneak up on Josuke like that."

"I'm going to surprise him!" She said this with pride! … And enough volume that anyone a hundred feet away could hear. The sound of her footsteps slowly approached Josuke, who had gone to pretending that he hadn't heard her. Suddenly, a small girl appeared in front of him, one wearing sunglasses over a face covered in makeup. "Peekaboo!"

"Woah! Shizuka, don't scare me like that!" He reached down and picked her up, talking in a playful tone. "Five year olds shouldn't be doing that, you know."

"Huh? But I'm three?"

"Three?! But you're getting so big! Are you sure about that?"

"I'm sure!"

"Amazing! You're going to get so tall!"

As the two of them laughed and caught up from their last meeting, Joseph made his way over to the pair. "Shizuka, didn't you want to show him something?"

"Ah! You're right papa! Ahem." She took a deep breath, "Ohio Goes-eye-mass-oo."

Joseph let out a chuckle as Josuke looked legitimately surprised. "She wanted to start learning Japanese for the times that we come visit. She's a bit rough right now, but she's learning quickly. Just… make sure Rohan doesn't write it into her. She's been having fun actually learning."

"Really? That's incredible. Well, Shizuka, you're doing a great job!"

"Thank you, Onii-chan!"

Josuke paused for a moment before letting her down on the ground and turning to point into town, "Well, lets, uh, get going, Okuyasu and Koichi are waiting for us." he stuttered out as he started walking away from the dock, Shizuka quickly following after, trying to get his attention.

Suzi-Q laughed as she and Joseph walked after them. "Looks like she caught him off guard. He wasn't quite ready for that one."

"Heh. No, not quite. They've been getting along well though. I imagine with how cellular pocket phones are improving, they may be able to keep in contact with one-another easily soon."

They both stayed silent for a moment before Suzi-Q finally spoke. "He seemed more than a little afraid when we first rolled up…"

"I'd bet he's heard of illegitimate children whose father's wives hate them. He was probably worried that that'd be the case here."

"Shame on them. They have every right to be mad at their husbands for cheating, but the child of an affair didn't cause it in the first place."

Joseph nodded his head as he looked down. "I suppose you'd be right about that."

"But…" she smiled lightly as she looked over at him, "Those two are most certainly your children, regardless of where they came from." As a light blush came across Joseph's face, she sped her walking pace. "Don't fall too far behind, o, savior of the world."


	3. Chapter 3: Finding Answers

Chapter 3: Finding Answers

Author Note: Warning, this chapter includes the following content. Mutilation, suicide.

The Speedwagon Foundation agent crawled steadily towards his desk in his home, his blood forming a pool around him as a figure covered in rags slowly walked towards him, their steps heavy and their stench getting stronger by the step. As he reached the desk and yanked open the bottom drawer, a foot pressed into his lower back, right onto one of the wounds he'd sustained, and he let out a scream.

"I told you before, American, it doesn't matter what you use, it will not harm me." The blood on the floor began receding back into the agent's body, his wounds closing. "And as I said, you will not die yet. I need information from you, my friend."

_Does he have a STAND on top of this?!_ the agent thought in a panic. With all the strength he could muster, he twisted around as far as he could, pointing the Sunbeam Flashlight mkIV from the drawer directly into his attacker's face, looking upon his pale face, the ghastly beard covered in blood, and the sharp fangs coming from his mouth; a vampire. "Die, you foul monster! You don't belong in this world!" Smoke began erupting from the attacker's face as he stepped back, removing his foot from the agent's back. The agent felt a rush of excitement as he kept the flashlight pointed at the monster. The latest models of the anti-vampire weaponry, first developed by the foundation during the second world war, with the help of members of the Axis Powers. The latest version had the appearance -both in physical form and in beam- of a standard flashlight, but in truth the flashlight actually fires off its light in a much larger cone that it seems to, utilising strong infrared and ultraviolet light, making it so that if a vampire side-steps out of the primary beam, they would still be taking sunlight, and would die regardless!

But the vampire did not move another step, staying where he moved to, the beam still affixed on his face. After a moment, the smoke cleared away, the vampire staring firmly at the agent, unharmed as the light reflected off of his eyes. "Now then, if you're done fighting back-" He looked into the eyes of the agent, eyes full of fear, confusion, and denial. He lifted the agent by the throat, his fingers slipping into it. "-we can finish this conversation. Where can I find the ones that have slain those with the resolve to take the world?"

"I-I don't underst-"

"The Victorian Vampire and the God of Nature that I read of in your files, Kars and Dio. Where can I find their killers?"

The agent was barely listening as he saw someone behind the vampire, a figure giving off a radiant light that seemed to be pulling the pain from his body, wearing armor from head to toe. Gathering his resolve, he pulled open the drawer behind him grabbing a loaded pistol from it. his hand shook as he pointed it at his head, a smile crossing his face. "You'll get nothing from me. I can see an angel here in this very room, here to guide me to heaven." He pulled the trigger. But as his soul began leaving from his body, the 'angel' stepped forward and touched him, his soul locking back down into his body, and the wound through his head mended back into place.

"An angel?" He glanced over at the figure. "Ah, I see." He let out a sigh as he looked back to the agent. raising his free hand, he tore off the arm of the agent, which the figure immediately fixed. Through the screaming, the vampire dropped him to the ground. "I believe your people call this a 'stand.' This is my dear companion, _The Trooper_. It will repair any wound I give you, without fail. But there is one thing that it cannot fix. One that dies from a failed attempt at gaining one of these 'stands' cannot be revived by it, whether the catalyst be from an arrow, or a byproduct of the wounds I give. Which, as I'm sure you've figured out now that I've explained, you are beginning to develop one. Besides that though-" he stomped in the throat of the agent whose screaming had been continuous through his talking. "An _angel_?! I do not know what your following is, but you are clearly not devout!" Another stomp. "An angel is a terrifying being! Uncountable eyes, inhuman features!" One more stomp. "But- there need be no worry about this sin. I will _help_ you repent for it."

Three days later, a man in a white coat and half of a hat would receive a phone call while on his way to investigate a mafia boss visiting a small port town. Through this call, he would hear of an agent of the Speedwagon Foundation, who was found dead in his home, along with the bodies of the agent's family. The agent's body was horribly mutilated, with evidence that it had been defiled. According to the investigators, the man had died only hours before their arrival, despite not having been to work in the past three days. His attacker would never be found by local authorities.


	4. Chapter 4: Waiting

Chapter 4: Waiting

"Oy, Giorno, why are we going out and about instead of resting in our room? We had a long plane ride, followed by a long car ride, followed by a long walk just to get to our hotel. Why can't we rest a little?" Trish took another drink of her water as they walked down the road.

"Resting in a room that we're trying to replace because of finding a rat would raise more than a little suspicion." Giorno looked over his map, turning right at a corner. "Besides, it would be best to find somewhere to eat for now. Jean Pierre, how is Coco Jumbo's kale supply looking?"

A turtle poked its head out of Mista's bag. "The fridge has enough for now, but regardless of how long we stay here, we're going to need more before we leave."

"Alright, just let us know if you drop down below two days' worth of food so we can pick you up some."

Mista looked over Giorno's shoulder out ahead of them. "Wait. Where are we going? I can see countryside coming up."

"Before we left the hotel, I asked one of the workers about good restaurants in the area. Recognising our accents, they mentioned that there's an Italian chef that runs a place near the edge of town."

"Huh?! Giorno, we're in another country and have the opportunity to try out new dishes that we can't get at home!"

Trish put the cap back on her bottle before sliding it back into Mista's bag as he complained. "It's fine by me. I'd rather eat something that I know I like instead of trying something that I might think is disgusting."

"Yeah, but you're the pickiest person we've ever met!"

Polnareff interrupted the two of them. "Anything particular about this restaurant that caught your attention, Giorno?"

"There was something. The girl mentioned that there aren't menus there at all."

Mista paused for a moment. "As in you just tell the guy what you want and he'll make it?"

"Apparently he'll make a dish 'based on the needs of the customer'."

Trish crossed her arms. "So the chef will make whatever he feels like making that day, or make things based on what ingredients are getting old."

"That's what I thought at first as well, but the hotel people claimed that his meals always seem to take care of whatever problem you have, whether it be pain or exhaustion."

Mista froze. "Wait… so food stopping pain, giving energy, and making people feel good? Giorno, are you thinking-?"

"Yeah. The chef being from Italy is another arrow pointing towards it; the possibility of a drug operation."

"Hm? But it wouldn't make much sense cost-wise to be using drugs for making food. Smuggling them isn't cheap."

"You're right Trish, but it could also be used in a long-term plan, getting people in the area hooked without realizing it, then pulling the restaurant out of the area. Without anywhere to turn, a localized production could start, giving revenue from an international source." Giorno looked up at the sign of _Trattoria Trussardi_. "As the Boss, it's my responsibility to check into this, to make sure that an operation of Diavolo's isn't still in play that was overlooked."

As the door opened, the three of them saw the store owner, tending to a group of customers at the corner table. The chef turned his attention to them, moving to them with a haste that did not feel rushed, but instead how you would approach a family member that you hadn't seen in some time. "Ah, buongiorno, good morning! Please, take a seat!" He pulled the chairs out at a nearby table

Giorno took a seat as well as the others. "Buongiorno. Grazie."

"Oh? Italian as well? Tonio Trussardi. Travelers here to have a taste of home then, is it?"

Giorno motioned to himself and the others as he spoke. "Giorno Giovanna, Guido Mista, Trish Una. Yes, we were quite surprised to hear about an authentic italian restaurant in the area. If you don't mind my asking, what brought you here?"

"Ah, years ago, I left my home in Italy to travel the world, honing my craft and borrowing techniques from other cultures, all in order to enhance the dishes of our motherland. But, sadly, the greater gourmet community did not accept my methods, nor did I feel that I could properly foster my restaurant there. So, I came to this town." He motioned with his hand in the direction of town. "Morrioh has a large supply of high-quality ingredients; farms have fresh produce, and the freshly-caught seafood is among the best I've seen in my travels." He poured water for everyone.

"It sounds like you found the perfect place to set up then. Do you hear much from your home?"

"Every few months, I receive a number of letters from my family. They update me on the status of family friends, politics, and other local happenings. Although, the local happenings often sadden me, hearing about the spread of… certain groups' activities."

"Ah. Last I'd heard, the mob is pulling out on drug distribution all across the country, and they've begun programs to help those that became addicted."

Tonio frowned. "Fixing past wounds can certainly help, but they are still an unregulated group that holds power all across the country, the fact that an arbitrary flick of the wrist can cause all drug trade to cease is proof of that."

Mista began reaching for his water. "The police and the politicians aren't exactly helping the problem right now. They've been accepting bribes left and right."

Tonio reached out and gently grabbed Mista's hand, turning it to look at the palm. "Oh dear…"

"Huh? Hey! What're you-"

"Sir, you have a bullet lodged in your chest, between your lungs. You must be the luckiest man in Italy to have taken a bullet in such a fashion and to have not only lived, but for your actions since then to have not caused the bullet to bring extra damage."

"Eh?! Giorno-"

Giorno whispered, "I'm sorry, Mista, I must've missed one."

Mista whispered back, "How do you miss a whole bullet?!"

"Mista, do you know how many of your own bullets hit you during that mission?"

"Huh? Er… well…"

"It was thirty, Mista. From the point I met you to the point when Diavolo died, you were shot by your own bullets no less than thirty times."

While Giorno spoke, he felt his hand being held by Tonio. "Hm? You seem to have several spots on your body that don't quite match. Perhaps.. Birth defects? No, looks more like hasty transplants. And he had some of them as well…" Trish took her hands off the table as he spoke. He smiled in her direction, "Not to worry, from what I could tell by glancing, you seem to be in perfect health. You must take good care of yourself." Letting go of Giorno's hand, he clapped his hands together. "I believe I know exactly what I would be making for you all. Will all three of you be dining today?"

Trish spoke up, "What happens if we find your cooking unsatisfactory?"

"There are many who come here for the first time and assure me '_if I think your cooking is bad, then I'm not paying!_' and I do not argue with them. If I were to make a meal that one didn't enjoy, then I would be ashamed of myself as a chef."

Giorno paused for a moment. "... Yeah, we'll all eat here."

"Excellent! Full course for everyone, or…?"

Trish waved her hand, "I'll only take the main dish."

"Very well!" And with that, he disappeared back into the kitchen, getting to work.

"I believe he's legitimate," Giorno started.

"You're right, but he still creeps me out. How can he tell everything about a person's health just by looking at their hands? And what do you think he was talking about with you two and deformities?"

"My best guess would be spots where I had Gold Experience mend our wounds. While it got us back up and running, there's no guarantee that it's perfect. In fact, the first time I did it I had to fix it again. My eye and the spot on my throat were sticking out slightly afterward. It certainly functions in a healthy way, but someone who knows the human body might recognize that something is a bit off."

"Then how did he know there was a bullet in my chest?!"

"... I'm sorry, I don't have an answer to that one." Giorno picked up his glass, "But I believe we can trust-" He cut himself off as he took a sip of the water. "What is this…?"

"Huh? What're you talking about, Giorno? It's water." Mista picked up the glass and took a sip. "This is… like Trish's mineral water? No, it's- Trish, drink some, we need you to confirm this."

"I've already told you, I'd rather die than drink something other than french mineral water."

"I'm telling you, it tastes better than it!"

"Have you been drinking my water, Mista?!"

"Hey, I got thirsty and it was all we had!"

"You asshole! Fine!" Trish quickly picked the glass up and took a drink. She looked surprised for a moment as she drank some more. "This… is so pure." She drank the rest of the glass. "I don't get it, how can it taste so good?! It's- It's actually-! It's better than my water!"

The three shared shocked looks. While they were thinking, Tonio arrived with two plates. "Your appetizers, my friends. Since it isn't quite lunch yet, I prepared a brunch variation of Crostini." Crostini, a common Italian appetizer. Crostini was made by poorer commoners in medieval Italy, who could not afford to buy ceramic plates to set their food on. Their solution? Cook a number of slices of bread until they are firm and crispy, then use the bread as a plate for other ingredients! "I've placed lightly scrambled egg yolks and whites along with seasoned diced tomato and red peppers, using a fresh grated parmesan and mozzarella blend to hold it all together. Buon appetito."

Trish stopped him from going back to the kitchen, "Hold on a second! What's this water?"

"Ah, that is an imported mineral water from Africa."

"Africa? Really?"

"Yes. In my travels around the world, I found African-made mineral water to simply be the best, and now it is what I import for my restaurant."

Giorno remembered seeing the meal price of thirty-five hundred yen by the front door. "And you don't charge for the water?"

"In truth, much of the price I list comes from maintaining my water supply along keeping contracts with local farmers." He let out a light laugh, "Admittedly, the second part isn't very difficult though, as many of my suppliers will also come by to eat. But no, I believe that all of my customers deserve the best I can give them, so the water is free, as standard " He nodded his head at the group as he turned towards the kitchen, "I will be back with the main course once you have finished."

As he left, Trish looked down at her glass. "Africa mineral water… well, with that kind of care, I wonder how good his food really is."

Giorno picked up one of the pieces. "My mother never kept up on the dishes in our home, so she would make this fairly often since she could make a lot while only having the one pan to clean, but it was a lot more bare-bones than this. They say that food taste has a lot to do with memory, so odds are going into this that I will have a negative bias." He took a bite, and fell to silence.

"Eh? Giorno? How is it?" Mista lifted one to his mouth as well, taking a bite and falling into the same silence.

"H-hey, you two… how is it?" Trish asked, breaking the quiet.

Mista turned towards Giorno, slowly. "Oy, Giorno-"

"It's useless, Mista."

"But Giorno-"

"We already know that he despises us, Mista, it wouldn't work."

"But this food-"

"Yeah, I know."

Trish looked back and forth between the two of them. "What are you two talking about?"

The two turned to her, in unison, "Asking Tonio to come with us," before taking another bite out of their Crostini.

"It's really that good?"

Ah he finished his first piece, Giorno picked up his napkin with his free hand. "This is the most delicious food I've had in my life, Trish"

"I-I believe you, but… why do you keep scratching your throat?"

"Huh?" Giorno paused as he glanced down, seeing that his hand was scratching -almost _clawing- _at his neck. Glancing to his left, he could see that Mista's hand was also scratching scratching at himself, though his hand was going at his shoulder and then to his forehead. Giorno forced his hand to stop for a moment, looking down at it, seeing the hand covered in dead skin. His hand began shaking suddenly, and instead began clawing around his right eye.

"Giorno! You're going to scratch your eye out!"

For a moment, Giorno hesitated, thinking of stopping himself. However, he thought of Tonio's genuine smile, and the care that this restaurant had in it. "This is fine."

"Huh? But, Giorno-"

"The fact that I'm doing nothing shows my resolve. I'll let this follow through, and see what happens."

After several moments, both of their hands' movements stopped, and Giorno sucked in a breath of air. "It feels clearer than it did before."

"Yes, that's correct." The group turned in shock, seeing that Tonio had returned while they were distracted, and he was gathering up the skin that had been scratched off of each of them. "The spice of the peppers harmonize with the separated eggs, and the fragrance going up to your nose after entering your mouth causes your throat to relax, and allow air to flow much more smoothly. The combination also can cause dead skin cells to become looser on your body." He smiled at them as he finished gathering. "My apologies, my friends, I am normally out here as my customers eat to gather up such things, but with such a workload at hand, if I did stay it would cause unacceptable delays in food."

Giorno rubbed his neck, feeling the area for any injury. Finding none, he turned back to Tonio. "That's understandable. Thank you, Tonio."

"You are most welcome. I will return with the pasta course momentarily."

As he walked away, Mista, who had remained quiet since they began scratching, spoke up. "Giorno, all of the spots I was scratching were places I had been hit in our fight against Ghiaccio."

"Yeah, I noticed. Mine were the spots that I had to replace from my fight with Baby Face. Also… have you noticed his accent yet?"

Trish looked over at him, "What do you mean? It's the same as the rest of the squad's besides yours, Giorno."

Mista blinked a few times, confused "Wait, it is?"

"People tend to not notice accents that they're more familiar with at first, which is why Trish and I have picked up on it. His accent… is from Naples specifically. Coming from a stand-heavy environment, moving to another place where we know stand users to be, making food with otherworldly effects?" Giorno took a drink of water. "I believe that Tonio is a stand user, but he seems to be using it for honest intentions, in cooking."

"Do you think that's by the food is so good?"

"No, I doubt that, it's probably the curative properties of the food that come from it. We should allow this to continue without bringing it up, to see how far his power goes. Mista, I would predict that the next target will be the bullet in your chest, and mine will be where I've had each of my arms torn off before."

"What about me?"

"I can't say for sure, Trish, since he mentioned that you were in good health."

After a moment of waiting, Trish glanced around the restaurant, setting her eyes on the other group that had been chatting and eating since they arrived. "Hey, look at the other group in the corner. There's six plates on the table, but there's only four of them over there."

"I noticed. One of them is an older lady, and with children around she probably has her husband here. Odds are, he needed some help getting to the bathroom and one of the others went off with him."

"Yeah, makes sense. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with that middle one's hair though. It's so weird. Is he trying to be Prince?"

Mista cut in, "Trish, we don't want to cause any unwanted attention right n- Oh, wow, you're right."

"See what I mean? Besides, we're talking in Italian, he can't understand us."

The three turned in surprise as a slamming sound came from the corner table as the man with the pompadour stood up, looking at them with a fire in his eyes, speaking in clear Italian, "What did you two just say about my hair?!"

Author's notes: Well, this was a long one to write. I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit long, I wanted to get through the entire meeting of Tonio up to the point of seeing Josuke and his group, so that way the next chapter would line up as showing what's been going on since leaving the docks from their POV. Hopefully, nobody thinks the hair line is forced. I drew this out because Trish makes fun of his hair if they fight one-another in _Eyes of Heaven. _From here on out, I'll also be cross-posting this fic on A O 3, since I finally received my invitation from them, so if you see the fic on there, please don't report it as a stolen work, I'm just posting it on both websites.


	5. Chapter 5: Rocky Road

Chapter 5: Rocky Road

"Okuyasu, I told you to let Koichi bring his Kei van today!"

"Calm down Josuke, the pickup works fine. Your old man is buckled in and everything."

"Okuyasu, you're driving, Koichi is in the passenger seat, and Joseph and suzi-q are in the double cab… do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Eh? Are you complaining about riding in the back of the truck?"

Josuke's fist pounded against the truck bed as the truck brushed over a bump in the road. "That's exactly what I'm complaining about! If Koichi brought his modified Kei van, we all could be riding inside a vehicle!"

Koichi turned around, talking loudly so he voice would carry through the back window. "I'm sorry Josuke, but Yukako decided to take the van in for an oil change today. It was supposed to be done a few months ago but… er… I forgot to get it changed since I was away."

"Eh? Oh, that's right. Jotaro sent you off on a mission around that time." Josuke let out a sigh. "Still, this sucks."

Joseph turned his head so he could talk out the back window, "I told you that I'd gladly take the back so you and Shizuka could ride up here. The offer still stands. Is she doing alright?"

"I don't want to end up having to use Crazy Diamond to fix your hip or anything like that. You guys have cushioning in there for bumps. As for shizuka, she's doing fine, but we're definitely getting a seat while you're here to put in the truck, this doesn't feel safe to me. Every time there's a bump though, she gets startled and turns invisible, but I've got ahold of her."

Shizuka huffed, "I do not!"

"Oh? I guess I just need to get my vision checked soon then, I think I'm going blind."

"No!"

"It's true, soon I'll need a walking stick and everything."

"You will not!"

"I'll have to use Crazy Diamond like a guide dog."

"Make him stop, papa!"

Joseph held back a chuckle. "Oh, that's terrible, Josuke. You know, I've been having eye troubles over the past several years, but it only really started to get worse over the last couple of them."

"Papa!"

"Sometimes I just completely lose sight of someone near me."

"No!"

"I lose track of Shizuka all the time!"

"Not fair!"

"One time I had to break a camera in order to find her, but I couldn't even see her in the photo Hermit Purple made!"

Shizuka crossed her arms and hunched over where she sat, turning invisible completely.

Suzi-Q looked forward towards Koichi while the others had their fun. "Excuse me, if you don't mind my asking, why a van?"

Koichi turned towards her. "Eh? What do you mean?"

"Well, most younger people would go for a car or a truck first. It just strikes me as strange seeing a young man having a van for his first vehicle."

"A-ah, Well, it was my girlfriend's idea. She said she wanted to get it now and get used to driving vans ahead of time, but I don't really get what she meant by that. Either way, I was a little pensive about it at first, since I'd heard stories about Microvans tipping over. But it turns out my Echoes Act 3 can rebalance the van perfectly if I go too fast on a turn." Kei Van, or Microvan. 'Kei' is a vehicle descriptor in Japan, specifying that a vehicle is as small or compact as legally allowed for street use. Microvans are often spoken of as easily tipping over if the driver goes too quickly, due to the way that the vehicle's weight is distributed. Normally, a microvan has two rows of seats, but Yukako had an extra row installed, giving a total of six seats.

Suzi-Q let out a chuckle, "Oh? So she wanted a vehicle with a lot of seating? I see, I see."

Okuyasu pulled the truck up to where they would park, swinging the truck door open as he jumped out and stretched. "Yo, Josuke, grab some of the supplies back there and help me carry them in!"

"Oy, you're the one that works for Tonio, not me."

"Huh?! Come on, It's just a box of eggs!"

"Noooo Way."

Okuyasu thought for a moment, then he strolled up confidently to Josuke, whispering with a smirk on his face, "I know that you'll be the one paying for the meal Josuke, with your old man compensating you for it later. Your old man knows that seven meals at thirty-five hundred yen is twenty four grand and five hundred."

"Y-yeah, and what about it?"

"If you help me with getting Tonio's ingredients in, I COULD possibly get him to put a discount on the meal, ten percent."

"So…? Like you said before, either way, the old geezer will be paying me back for the ticket."

"But if he thinks that you're paying twenty-four five hundred, while actually paying twenty-two grand…"

The lightbulb clicked. "Then I'd be getting an extra couple of thousand yen since he thinks I'm still paying full price!"

"Exactly!"

Josuke hurriedly picked up a couple of the boxes out of the truck. "Alright, I'm in! Lead the way, Okuyasu!"

As the group went inside, Koichi pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Oh, looks like Jotaro's a bit behind. He says he'll be here in about half an hour, but he's fine if we start eating early."

Josuke and Okuyasu walked into the back as Tonio pointed to places to put everything. Shizuka, becoming visible, spoke up. "So Nuncle Jotaro's coming?"

"Eh? 'Nuncle'?"

Joseph gently sat himself down at the table in the corner. "We explained that Jotaro is technically her nephew, so she mixed nephew and uncle when talking about him."

"Oh, now I see it. Yes, nuncle Jotaro will be coming, probably after we finish our main courses."

Suzi-Q laughed as she sat down with Joseph. "As it turned out though, 'nuncle' actually ended up being a real but uncommon old-english word for 'uncle'."

Koichi set up the high chair as he lifted Shizuka into it, listening to a conversation going on in the kitchen.

"Hey, Tonio, would you mind if I used half my discount now and then the other half after I work later?"

"Ah, so ten percent off the group's meal and then fifty percent off your individual meal? Yes, that should be fine, Okuyasu."

Josuke came over after he finished fixing some eggs that had broken on the ride over. "Eh? What's his discount normally?"

"If he eats individually, I give him a free meal. If he eats with one or two other people, I give him half off the ticket. With more than that, I give twenty percent off."

Josuke thought for a moment. "Hey, Okuyasu, if you use your full discount, I'll split half the profit with you. You'd walk away with two thousand and fifty yen."

"No way."

"Huh?! Why not?"

"Either way I'm running the same loss."

"No, with how we're currently doing it, you'll be spending a thousand seven-fifty. With this way you'll basically only be spending a thousand five hundred."

"Hm… you're right. Tonio, run my full discount on the meal instead."

The two would quickly realize that their scheme had failed. After sitting at the table, Joseph pulled out his wallet and pulled out the money for the bill, saying "don't worry Josuke, I came prepared this time!" Defeated, they accepted their fate, enjoying the appetizers that Tonio brought them. They laughed and chatted about recent events, about work and family. Joseph would give pause for a moment as Tonio brought out the main dishes, his being a squid ink pasta. As he ate, he took a deep breath. "You know, Tonio, I swear your food makes me feel younger again. Thank you. Ah, I need to go use the restroom."

Koichi stood up and walked over to him, "do you need any help getting over there?"

"Oh, thank you, yes."

From there, you already know how events unfolded. A group of people walked in for their first time, and began their meal, audible surprise coming from their table as they experienced Tonio's skill and ability, all until one of them made a fateful comment, while another of them agreed. Koichi wasn't the only one with Italian written into him, the morioh team had decided that since one of them had the language written in, it would be a good idea for all of them to have it written in, to have a language they could speak in if they needed to talk in secret.

Josuke rose to his feet, yelling across the room at the other table, "What did you two just say about my hair?!"


	6. Chapter 6: The Confrontation

Chapter 6: The Confrontation

The fight unfolded in an instant, turning to chaos. At first, Mista spoke, telling the stranger to calm down, but that line of talking quickly collapsed as Josuke began quickly approaching them, a stand appearing behind him. Mista drew his revolver, giving a warning shout. Meanwhile, a voice came from the direction of the restroom. "G-giorno Giovanna?!" Giorno turned, seeing the familiar face of Koichi, supporting an elderly man.

Giorno quickly turned back to his group, realizing that these people were with Koichi, "Mista, wait-!"

"Stat Platinum: The World!" Bang.

A man let out a sigh as he stepped into the restaurant. "Good grief. Looks like I came just in time." He quickly threw a rock at the bullet that was stopped in it's path. "That should do the trick. Now, time has begun to flow again." He stood still for several seconds. Nothing changed. Looking down, Jotaro realized that the rock he had thrown was still in his hand. "... Haruno- no, I suppose it's Giorno Giovanna."

There was a brief pause of silence before a voice rose from behind Giorno. "I don't know how you came to the conclusion that this was because of a power of Giorno's," the stand rose, its eyes piercingly staring at Jotaro, "but you are correct that your current state is because of him."

"You're his stand I take it?"

The stand nodded his head. "Gold Experience: Requiem."

"Hm. But Giorno himself isn't moving. So this is an automatic power then."

"Yes, that's correct. Unfortunately, nothing that you do in this warped time will have any effect, meaning that you can't save your friend."

Jotaro paused, glancing at Josuke for a moment, then looking back and forth between Koichi and Okuyasu. "That's fine. Can your friend take a bullet?"

"What?"

"The one who shot. Can he take a bullet?"

"... He has before."

Jotaro reached up and tipped the brim of his hat. "Then we're fine. Josuke will be able to fix him after the bullet strikes back at him."

"Explain."

"The stand users that you are fighting are a very reliable bunch."

Gold Experience Requiem looked back at the others, something catching his eye as he looked at Trish. "You say the bullet is going to come back to hit Mista?"

"If that's the shooter, then yes."

"That's fine."

"Good, so let me out of this stopped time."

Gold Experience Requiem vanished back into Giorno. "Very well. Time will begin to flow."

The bullet struck Josuke who stopped in his tracks, but no blood came from the hole. Koichi's hand was outstretched, one of the acts of his stand beside him, with the tip of its tail missing. "Echoes, Act II. Boing!"

The bullet ricocheted back towards Mista, flying back into his gun, which seemed to stretch back towards him for a moment, as if made out of rubber. A red stand was stretching out to Mista from Trish. She yelled out, "Spice Girl!" as the bullet went back towards Josuke.

With a distorted noise, the bullet disappeared from the air. "The Hand!"

Giorno and Jotaro quickly jumped out in between the two groups the moment that the bullet was gone. "Can you get yours under control?" Jotaro asked.

"So long as you can get yours. We only acted in defense."

"Ah. A hair comment then." Jotraro faced the Morioh gang. "Everyone, calm down. These aren't enemy stand users, at least not at the moment. This is Giorno Giovanna, the current boss of the Italian mafia, Passione. With their boss in tow, it would make sense that they would react strongly to an attack. Calm down, Josuke."

Meanwhile, Koichi approached Giorno, a serious expression on his face. "What're you doing here, Giorno?"

"Mista, Trish, this is Koichi, the man that we came here to find. Koichi, this is-"

"Guido Mista, the number two in Passione. Yes, we know who you are."

Giorno gave pause at Koichi's response. "I see, so whichever group sent you to find me initially have also been keeping tabs on the power balance in Naples."

"Not quite. After I brought news about your situation back, our organization mounted a secondary investigation. You'd mentioned joining a gang when you picked that lighter up off the ground, meaning that the stand with the arrow would've most likely been a proving test for entering a gang there. This at least partially lined up with a third party that our side knew who disappeared searching Europe. So, now knowing that the area was likely filled with stand users and had at least one arrow, we started gathering information."

"Jean Pierre Polnareff, right? That was the person that you knew that was investigating?"

Jotaro looked over his shoulder as Giorno spoke. "... Yes, that's him. Do you know anything?"

Mista shouted back, "Yes, we do! And don't refer to me as the number two! Two squared is four! I'm the number three, he's the number two!"

Jotaro fully turned around at this. "What?!"

A familiar voice came from Mista's bag. "Mista, I was waiting for a calmer time to reveal myself. Mista, please place Coco Jumbo out on the table."

Joseph made his way over. "That voice… Jean Pierre?"

As the turtle was placed on the table, Polnareff's soul emerged from the turtle's stand room, Mr President. "Bonjour Jotaro, Joseph, it's been awhile."

Jotaro looked down at the turtle, examining the transparent figure of his friend. "You're dead, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately, yes, I am, but my soul is still lingering here for now. We all have a lot of questions for each-other, but for now it would be wise to go somewhere else."

Giorno picked Coco Jumbo back up. "He's right, odds are someone's already called a reported gunshot to the police."

There was a light thud on the table that caught Giorno's attention. Tonio had placed a number of styrofoam containers on the table. "Yes, it would be best for you to leave." as Giorno reached for his wallet, Tonio put a hand up. "No. I will not take money of yours, knowing now where it comes from. Your tab is paid, on the condition that you do not return here."

Giorno gave pause for a moment before placing the containers inside the turtle. "I understand. We apologize for the intrusion." He turned back to the others. "Do you have a vehicle?"

Okuyasu spoke up. "Well, we do, but my truck only has four seats."

"That won't be a problem." He placed Coco Jumbo down on the floor. "Just be sure to bring this turtle along for the ride in one of the seats. There's seats in here, for anyone that wants the ride."


	7. Chapter 7: Travel Plans

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay on these ones. I got hit with a hefty shot of the ol' depression and I was stuck going through the motions for about a week and a half off-and-on. I actually finished this short chapter last week, but because of how short it is I didn't want to put it up until the next one was ready, which, in my defence, I had written more than half of the next chapter in the hours after finishing this one, but I wasn't able to lift a finger to my laptop since that day. Here we are though, two weeks into fanfic and chill, with the next two chapters. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7: Travel Plans

In the dark alley of a neighborhood in the city of New York in the U.S.A., a vampire stood, poking at a phone that he awkwardly held. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes my lord, but you are quite distant sounding. Hold the phone so that the corner winds around your face."

He moved the flip-phone, holding it correctly now. "Is that better?"

"Yes my lord. What is your command?"

"I have located both targets, but it will take some time for my arrival. These American airports have much stricter security than when I came here one year ago. You are still stationed in Japan, yes?"

"Of course. It was your will that I be here."

"Good. I have information that both targets are present in that country. The old man went to visit his bastard, and the young man went to investigate a crime lord. Both are in the same town, a city called 'Morioh.' Can you find it?"

"I believe I know the place, yes. It will not take very long for me to arrive there. Shall I call for backup?"

"нет, no, you are simply to observe them. You may have the immunities that I had when I blessed you, but if any of them can channel the ripple, you will still die."

"But ripple users will see their strength deteriorate past seventy regardless of how devoted they are! And the old man would be over eighty by now! Surely he cannot-!"

He was cut off as the phone in the vampire's hand began to crack. "Charles! Your arrogance is rising from you!"

There was a pause from the other end. "I… My apologies, my lord."

"We will talk when we meet. If you feel as if you are trapped, then call for help and lay low. But I do not wish to lose my faithful companions, yourself included. You may have the power to gaze upon the sun, but you are not as invincible as you feel yourself to be."

After a long pause, Charles replied. "I understand. I hope to see you soon, my lord."

As the call ended, the vampire folded the phone closed again as he began walking towards the airport. Halfway across the world, another vampire revved his bike as he put his phone and map away, riding in the direction of the town of Morioh.


	8. Chapter 8: History Lessons

Chapter 8: History Lessons

Jotaro glanced around the room as he stood next to the couch where Joseph sat. "You say this turtle's stand is called Mr. President?"

The spirit of Polnareff leaned against the wall, knocking it lightly with his hand. "That's right! This place is one of the most secure travel options I've ever seen. I wish we had this back in the day, it would've made sneaking into Egypt so much easier."

Joseph glanced up at him. "You might be right about the convenient travel, but Jean Pierre, this kind of turtle wouldn't survive the desert heat going towards Egypt from any direction unless we decided to ship it in the mail, which could've taken too long."

"Ah… that makes sense I suppose."

Jotaro tipped his hat slightly. "Plus, if a stand user like Yellow Temperance managed to discover the turtle we all would've been cornered without a way to run and regroup."

Polnareff scratched the back of his head. "Damn, that makes sense too."

Giorno spoke up as Mista handed off drinks to their guests. "There's also the issue of stands that indiscriminately target areas, such as how The Grateful Dead did. But even still, without Coco Jumbo, we would've fallen victim to even worse circumstances. For example, because we could pick and choose who is inside the turtle, we're able to select who we want to have exposed for a given battle, letting us strategically have our best fighters out based on who works best against an opponent, all while keeping everyone else out of the crossfire."

Josuke nodded his head as Mista handed him a few waters, keeping one of them while handing the others down to the others on the couch. "Well, it sounds useful in that case, but if you don't know the stand powers of who you're going up against then you could be just putting everyone together into one target."

Giorno turned his head towards Josuke. "Yes, that's right, but that also assumes that the people that we fight know that Coco Jumbo is where everyone is. Most people would express surprise at finding out that an animal has a stand. I'd assume that you've all experienced animals with stands though. You were all surprised by a stand like this existing, but none of you seemed shocked about a turtle having a stand."

Jotaro declined taking one of the drinks. "We've had encounters with them in the past. But I have a question for you, Giorno Giovanna."

Giorno looked up at Jotaro as he sat in his chair. "And I have questions for you and Koichi as well. So, as we're the visitors here, you start."

"Your stand power. What is it?"

"Talking about stand abilities is a dangerous discussion with a complete stranger, isn't it?"

"No, sorry, let me rephrase that. We're already aware of your stand's base power because of your run-in with Koichi. I want to know about its automatic power."

"Its automatic power?" Giorno shot a glare after thinking for a moment. "So then, I take it that your 'Star Platinum: The World' had a time-distorting ability of some kind that you were attempting to use when you entered during the fight?"

"Yes, that's right. I stopped time once I entered Tonio's and saw that there was a gun drawn. From there, I threw a rock to try to stop the bullet. But after a moment, when time should have begun to flow again, it was still frozen. In truth, I started to panic, realizing that even though I had taken a step in, I was where I was before, the rock that I had thrown was still in my hand. But then I saw you were there. Really, it was a hunch, but I called out for you and your stand answered."

"Huh?!" Polnareff walked over to Jotaro. "Hold on, how did you have a hunch that it was his power?"

"Hm? So in your time with him, I take it that you've never seen his shoulder, Polnareff?"

Without a word, Giorno rose to his feet, taking a step towards Jotaro. Jotaro stared unblinkingly as Giorno approached him. Once they stood directly in front of one-another, Giorno spoke. "It seems that we're reaching my line of questions faster than I thought we would. Unfortunately, I can't answer your question about Gold Experience: Requiem. Not because of secrecy, but because I don't actually understand how it works myself. I know only that it can hard-counter certain time-related stand abilities. But for my question, since you know about my birthmark, what do you know about my father?"

Jotaro motioned towards Josuke, signalling for him to stop as Josuke was beginning to rise to his feet. "There's quite a lot of history behind that, and I don't have the answers to all of it. The quickest fact I could give to show the bizarreness of your familial situation would be to tell you that the elderly man sitting on the couch next to us is by all technicality your nephew."

"What?!"

Joseph pressed the tip of his cane to the ground as he rose to his feet, josuke reaching over to help support him. "Ah, so this is the boy that you mentioned then."

Polnareff took a step back as he digested what he'd listened to. "Nephew? Wait… Jotaro, are you saying that this kid is-!?"

"Yeah." Jotaro tipped the brim of his hat. "Giorno Giovanna, if you were hoping to meet your father, I'll have to inform you that he was killed in 1989, by a combined effort of the three men standing here now."

Giorno listened as the three of them spoke, studying their expressions carefully. He thought for a moment on what to ask next. Many doors were here to open, and he wanted to hear what happened behind each of them. "... So then, why would you have to kill your own ancestor?"

"The short of that would be…" Joseph closed his eyes and collected his thoughts, "You could view it as having two fathers in a sense. Dio Brando was the adoptive brother of my grandfather, Jonathan Joestar. This may sound strange, even for someone that comes from a world of stand users, but Dio Brando was a vampire."

"A vampire…?"

"Yes. He gave up on his humanity. But, Jonathan learned Sendo, also called 'hamon,' or 'ripple.' It's a specific technique that allows the user to channel their life energy in such a way that it overpowers a vampire's reserve for it, and the energy destroys their bodies. It's somewhat ironic, given that vampire's drink blood because it contains life energy, which they subsist on. In the end, Jonathan defeated his brother, reducing him to just his head… but it cost him his life. But, Dio still lived after their final battle. He took Jonathan's body and laid dormant in the sea until his hiding place was discovered, and he escaped back to the surface, his head connected to Jonathan's body." Joseph opened his eyes and pointed at Giorno. "One would think that, since Dio was using Jonathan's body, the offspring in such a situation would be that of Jonathan's. However, from what I've been told, it would seem that you somehow inherited things from Dio."

"And, the answer to my initial question?"

Jotaro nodded his head. "There's quite a few answers to that one. Most of the reasons stem from Dio being struck with a stand arrow. Because of his tie to Jonathan's body, every living member of the Joestar bloodline began to manifest stands. However, as I'm sure you're aware by now, not everyone can handle a stand. My mother was dying because of hers."

Josuke raised his hand lightly, "I can vouch for that too. My mother had to drive me to a hospital when I was young during that time. After I got better, I had my stand, Crazy Diamond."

Giorno tilted his head lightly. "So then, by blood, what is my relation to everyone here?"

"Like I mentioned before, Joseph would be your nephew. After him in order, Josuke would be your nephew once removed, and I would be your nephew twice removed," Jotaro said as he pointed respectively to who he mentioned. "I also have a daughter, who would be your niece three times removed."

Mista came up behind Giorno. "Giorno, this all sounds ridiculous."

Giorno turned his head to look at his friend. "It is, but I want to believe them."

"Eh?! Why; because they're the only ones that have info for you?!"

"No, because I can see how serious they are about this. They don't have a defensive air about their expressions. But…" he turned back to the group that stood in front of him, "This is a lot to take in. We've heard about and seen lots of bizarre events in our work, but this is something that goes beyond that. I hope you'll understand if I'm a bit hesitant about accepting this information as fact."

Joseph let out a light chuckle, "Even that's only part of the story. Well, I was never the best listener when I was younger, so lots of stories that the people who knew Dio and Jonathon fell on deaf ears, so I can't tell you much more beyond that. But, I'm sure we could borrow the files about them from the Speedwagon Foundation to let you read more first-hand accounts."

Jotaro's frown seemed to go lower as Joseph reached his last sentence. "No. I'm afraid that we can't actually do that at the moment."

"Hm? Jotaro, what harm would it do?"

"That's not what I mean, old man. On my way here, I received a call from them. We have a problem on our hands, and it involves those files. The Speedwagon Foundation is in the process of copying files over to digital storage at the moment, but there's a lot to copy. Because of this, they've started with their newer important business files and they're working their way back in age. Files on vampires and stand users are last on the list, so people are still checking those files out one at a time. One foundation agent had checked out files regarding Jonathan Joestar, Dio Brando, and a man called Kars. He hadn't been to work over the past few days, so someone finally went to go check on him earlier today. He was found dead in his home, his body covered in scars that should've taken months to reach the point they were at, yet he never had before."

Koichi jumped to his feet from the couch. "A stand user of some sort killed him then?!"

"That's what we believe. The strange part of it is that the wounds were not the cause of death. The cause matches up with someone being awakened to a stand without the will to have one. On top of that, there was a fact that the killer tried to hide. When the agent's flashlight was found still in its drawer, the battery on it was checked. It wasn't much, but the battery was slightly depleted."

Joseph's grip on his cane from his artificial hand tightened. "Then… his killer may also be a vampire if he tried to use that."

Giorno stood, listening. "And the files?"

"Missing from his home." Jotaro glanced at the people around him. "Those files contain information about our battles said people, which means that they in turn also contain information about our stands."

"And if he was targeted for those files, then that would mean that someone is trying to find all of you, while having the advantage of knowledge."

"That's correct."

"Then, how about a deal? We'll help you in dealing with your attacker, and in return we get to make copies of the files when they're retrieved."

In the silence after the question was asked, a voice came from above. "Yo, we're at the hotel!"

Jotaro reached his hand up towards the clear roof. "We'll talk about it inside."


	9. Chapter 9: Fear of the Dark

Author's Note: Hey, it's been a hot minute since I last updated this fic. As it turns out, writing a whole-ass tabletop system takes a lot of time, especially while you're also being a DM to a game that requires you to map out an entire castle. I'm sorry that that's been draining a lot of my time. I also got overwhelmed thinking about just how much I plan on writing for this fic. But I got past that issue by realizing that thinking about the story as a whole chunk instead of individual chapter writing was half of what was putting me down, with the other half being that I set deadlines for myself. The second part was bad since I have a tendency to put off things to the last minute, and so I was tiring myself out. So I won't write any promises of how often I'll get chapters up, but just know that I'm still working on it. Today I present to you two more chapters of A Beautiful Wind

Earlier that day, a man parked his motorcycle in the middle of Morioh. He plugged a pair of headphones into a CD player. He gazed up at the sun as he took in a breath through his mouth, a pair of fangs glistening in the light. With a light voice, he whispered to himself as he pressed the play button and closed his eyes.

"Fear of the Dark."

His shadow shifted beneath him for a moment before it vanished entirely, light seeming to flow right through his body and still covering the ground all around him. A darkness darted across the ground, quickly passing through all of the houses on the block within a few seconds, and moving to the next. As it moved further away, he opened his eyes, starting the bike again as he rode after it.

"Hey, Jotaro…"

Jotaro looked over to Josuke as he was whispered to on the walk to the hotel room.

"So, what's the story with this Mafia business?"

"Italy has had an influx of illegal activity over the years, along with corruption within police forces and political groups. Many criminals have been able to get away with crimes by bribing police officers. Passione is the specific group that these people are related to. Well, at least two of them. Word has been that they were selling narcotics on a widespread level."

"Eh?! Oy, if these guys are drug dealers, then shouldn't we stop them?"

"More recently, that news changed. Allegedly, the boss of Passione suddenly revealed his identity a few months ago and suddenly made strides in stopping the drug addiction problems that they'd caused."

"Suddenly?"

"We have reason to believe that Giorno joined the gang and then killed their actual leader before installing himself as the boss."

"He's a teenager though."

"Yes. That was the given reason for why he kept his identity hidden for so long, so that he couldn't be disrespected for being young. But, Koichi heard Giorno mention joining a gang while he was in Italy, which supports the assassination theory."

"Ah, that brings the other question I've been waiting to ask for awhile…"

"What is it?"

"Why'd you send Koichi off to Italy? You know that I've been wanting to travel overseas!"

"Because, if I would've sent you, you'd have ended up in arrested after someone would make comments on your appearance."

Josuke sighed as he spoke in a defeated tone. "Ah, that makes sense I suppose."

"But, I'll be sure to call on you if I believe a mission is appropriate for you. I don't think you're unreliable, you just have a personality that calls for specific circumstances to prosper. I'm certain that if I had sent you to Italy, you would've found a way to do things right, but I felt that Koichi was better attuned for it."

As they spoke, the hotel door opened while Mista glanced up at the number. "Five twenty-one. Much better." The group walked into the room, Mista waving his hand over the key on Coco Jumbo's back to signal those inside. A moment later, everyone was in the hotel room, now upgraded to a suite for their "troubles."

Giorno faced the group. "So then, should we get right to business?"

Joseph slowly sat himself down on a nearby couch as Okuyasu supported him. "Yeah, that would probably be for the best. So, what do you bring to the table here? Sure, we're willing to share information about Dio that we retrieve from the vampire, but that agreement won't mean much if we can't work together in a fight. If anything, keeping battle information from one-another is likely to get us killed. If we're going to do this, we need to agree for transparency, here and now."

Giorno tilted his head. "You're right, but there's an issue with what you're saying. We're the ones with disadvantage in this conversation, Mister Joestar. Jotaro and Koichi are already aware of my stand's capabilities to at least some extent. While I may know somewhat about Koichi's power, I saw a different appearance and ability earlier in Tonio's than I saw in Italy. While Jotaro mentioned a time-stopping power, there's no guarantee that he doesn't have another ability up his sleeve that we don't know about. And that one seemed to be able to erase a bullet from midair. Our side is outnumbered in this situation, and your side has an information head-start."

"Then, I'll start." Joseph adjusted his glasses. "Joseph Joestar. I'm eighty-one years old. My stand, Hermit Purple, allows me to create vines and potentially scry on people to an extent, but I have to have a point of focus for it or a connection. The closer the connection, the easier it is. I have the most experience here with vampire fighting, and I can offer advice, but I'm not as spry as I was ten years ago."

Josuke stepped forward. "I'm Higashikata Josuke, eighteen years old. My stand Crazy Diamond can punch at speeds faster than sixty kilometers an hour, and it has the ability to turn back the clock on whatever it hits. I can use this to destroy a wall, walk through, and have it repair behind me; but I can also use it to heal wounds. However, it cannot bring back someone whose spirit has already passed on."

Giorno looked to Josuke for a moment before speaking. "Giorno Giovanna, fifteen years old. My stand, Gold Experience, can imbue objects with life. This allows me to animate inanimate objects as living creatures, but they have a protection that causes any attack made on them to be returned on the attacker in full. This also allows me to use rocks, dirt, grass, or anything else around to repair damage to someone's body. However, like your own stand, I can't bring someone back from the dead once their soul passes on. I also gained the ability of Gold Experience Requiem, which causes my stand to automatically interfere with time-related stands. How it does though, I'm not sure."

Jotaro walked over to a nearby window, looking out it at the street below. "Kujo Jotaro. Thirty. My Star Platinum can attack similar to Josuke's, but he possesses a great amount of precision. I also have Star Platinum: The World, which allows me to stop time for a short time, but I won't be able to use it for its normal purposes so long as I'm near Giorno."

"Okuyasu Nijimura, eighteen! My stand The Hand can scrape things away, but even I'm not sure where the things I scrape away go." As Okuyasu spoke, the spirit of Polnareff couldn't help but to furrow his brow, recognizing the familiar power.

"Hirose Koichi, also eighteen. My Echos has three separate forms. Act One amplifies my words, Act Two gives them form and power, and Act Three gives them weight."

"Guido Mista, but you can just call me Mista. I'm eighteen, same as you three, but I'll be turning nineteen in a month." Mista spun his revolver open as Sex Pistols came out. "I'm a good shot with a gun, but my Sex Pistols can redirect bullets as needed, but unlike most stands I need to feed and care for them."

"I'm Trish Una, fifteen years old. I'm technically not a member of Passione, but I'd be lying if I said I had no connection to it. My stand Spice Girl can soften an object. If the object is hit, whatever hit it is propelled back with twice the force it put into the hit. I'm set to actually do a show here in town in awhile."

"I'm Shizuka! I'm able to make myself and things around me disappear!"

"My name's Suzi Q. I don't have any powers like the rest of you though, but I'll do what I can to help out. I'll have to ask you all about how Italy's been lately once we have free time!"

"And I'm Jean Pier-"

The role call was cut short, as all of the stand users in the room suddenly felt their attention pulled towards the corner of the room, where they saw for a brief moment a blob of shadow. As soon as it was there, it suddenly disappeared through a wall, but not before a single bright yellow eye opened on it, its dot of a pupil darting between them, looking at each person in the room.

The others heard Jotaro shout, "Star Platinum: The World!" before turning abruptly to the group. "Mista! Motorcycle, side of the road closest to us, one-o'clock from the window! Koichi, get Act Three ready and hold on tight!"

Mista took his shot past Jotaro's Head, as Jotaro grabbed ahold of Koichi and jumped through the window, Star Platinum grabbing the outer wall of the hotel to slow their descent. The bullet struck a bike tire, as a second bullet did the same with the other one.

"Act Three! Freeze!"

For a moment, the rider fell to the ground. However, he steadily rose to his feet, despite the crushing weight around him. "Well, it looks like I've found my targets."

Joseph moved quickly to the window. "Jotaro! Koichi! Watch out! A vampire could undoubtedly still stand under Act Three, even if you were directly in front of him and applying as much weight as possible! Use this weight to slow him instead of trying to immobilize him with it!" He turned to Josuke. "Josuke, I need a favor…"

Koichi nodded his head. "I understand. Mista! Try to damage his legs! Jotaro, you're up!"

"Star Platinum!"

"Ora!" Star Platinum struck the man in the head multiple times. At the same time, Mista's bullets went through the vampire's knees.

"How troublesome." The vampire stood steady, the dent that had been put in his head quickly beginning to mend itself. His eyes darted between his attackers, both the ones on the ground and the ones in the window above. "Heavy coat, a bizarre hat, a close range strength stand. Jotaro Kujo, I presume. May I ask a question before I kill you?"

"If you're just gonna run your mouth, then do it already."

"How did you know I was the one that the stand answered to?"

"I saw your teeth from the window while you were riding..."

Moments ago…

"Star Platinum: The World!"

Gold Experience Requiem appeared behind Giorno as time came to a halt. "Jotaro, what are you getting at here? You know that you won't be able to attack it while Giorno is nearby."

"Yeah, I know." Jotaro made a note of the direction the stand was traveling, glancing out the window in that same direction. "This is to buy a moment to get our bearings. Look."

Gold Experience moved over behind Jotaro and looked out the window. "The biker? Yes, it looks like it's going in his direction. Mista could stop it, but if he's a civilian-"

"He's not. Reach into my right coat pocket. Use the binoculars to look at his face."

Gold Experience pulled the binoculars from him and looked. "Fangs?"

"Exactly."

"... So we destroyed your bike's tires and made came down here to fight."

The vampire tilted his head. "I can appreciate a man leading the charge while also being the one to be on watch for an enemy. I am Charles the Twelfth. I was sent purely to locate you all and leave, to wait until my Lord arrived, but it's looking more and more like I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

Koichi continued focusing on Echoes as he spoke. "Charles the Twelfth… of Sweden?"

Charles had a light look of surprise on his face as he straightened back up. "The same, yes."

Koichi stood firmly "Jotaro, this guy… He was a king in Sweden… at the turn of the 18th century."


	10. Chapter 10: The Young King

Sweden, 1697

A new king was brought into power, after the death of his father, a king with only fifteen years of age. Charles the Twelfth. His reign was one filled with strife and war, as nearby states underestimated the new king.

Charles the Twelfth was known for being a king that would lead soldiers into battle himself. Because of excellent training the soldiers had gone through from his father's reign, combined with the morale boost of their king riding with them into battle, his army met many victories, with even defeats often being bold, including an attempt to invade the Russian capital of Moscow itself.

On a night in 1718, while inspecting trenches during a planned invasion of Norway, the king met his final defeat. Perhaps a single guard saw a figure standing in the trenches, and took a shot. Perhaps a stray grapeshot from the fortress happened to fly in his direction. Regardless of intent, in a sudden moment, one of the king's hands went to his sword, and the other went to the pain in the side of his head. The king of sweden, once full of pride and courage, had been killed by a bullet passing through his head.

Morioh, 2001

"Jotaro, this guy… He was a king in Sweden at the turn of the 18th century."

Charles' clapped his hands together. "Excellent. Then I don't need to go through any long explanations." As he spoke, the area within twenty feet of him became shrouded in a darkness as potent as the countryside on the night of a new moon, with a blanket of clouds blocking out the stars. "Fear of the Dark."

Jotaro turned his head. He could see the area out beyond the twenty feet clearly, but the area within was pitch black. He felt an unease all around him, a presence all throughout the darkness. "This is how you found us, isn't it."

"Hm? Ah, Yes. My Fear of the Dark emits a smell from itself that causes the body to produce a small amount of adrenaline, but the smell can only be picked up by stand users since the smell is part of the stand itself, but the smell is strong enough that you can tell what direction it's coming from. If it comes into contact with me, my stand grows into a forty foot diameter sphere, and I can walk up and kill anyone inside it with relative ease."

"Who're you working for?"

"Bold of you to interrogate one who holds the upper hand in a fight for your life, sir Jotaro. Perhaps I should offer-"

"ORA!" Star Platinum struck the area just to Jotaro's left, the sound of a loud crunch as Charles fell to the ground with the weight increase of Act Three again. "Even if I can't see, my stand's senses are more than keen enough to pick out where you are." Star Platinum began yelling and throwing a flurry of punches.

Charles' voice came from further away this time, but he sounded unharmed, without the slightest hint of strain in his voice. "So I can see now. No matter. You have no means of killing me anyway." There was a sound, scraping metal, as a sword was drawn.

Through the tension, the voice of Suzi-Q cut through the air. "Koichi, look out! He's throwing it at you!"

Koichi leapt out of the way just in time as the sword flew past him. Instead of falling back he rushed forward, Jotaro moving forward with him. "ACT THREE, STOP! Switch! ACT TWO, BOING!" "Okay Master!"

Star Platinum threw a punch, launching Charles out of the sphere and towards the hotel. At the same time, Echoes Act 2 launched its tail into the wall causing it to gain a bounce effect, and sending Charles flying back towards Star Platinum.

"We did it! Act two stop! Switch! Act three, Fre-!" Koichi stopped as he saw the current situation. Charles stood firmly, his hand embedded in Jotaro's shoulder. "Jotaro!"

"I can see why my lord wishes to end you before he sets his plans into motion. You're quite adept at turning the tide of battle. But that won't help you anym-"

Two sounds caused him to give pause. The first, a wall crumbling behind him. The second being the sound of bones cracking coming from his left. As he turned his head, he caught sight of the second sound.

"I came to Japan with a purpose. I, Giorno Giovana, will not allow myself to lose potential allies to the likes of the dead that have given up on life. Flinging myself from a window to aid them doesn't even come close to testing my resolve. Your fight here was useless, your reconnaissance was useless, coming back from the dead was useless, useless, useless."

"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!" Gold Experience struck Charles, sending him back towards the hotel.

"This burning feeling left from his punches… Is this-?!" It was then that he saw the source of the first sound. Josuke had broken through the wall carrying a determined-looking Joseph. "The old man…? No there's no way…"

"Hermit Purple!" The vines tangled across Charles' body as he fell. The crushing weight was back again, Koichi gathering the resolve to weigh him down again. "Your next line is: 'old man there's no way you can use hamon at this point in your life'."

"Old man, there's no way- huh?!"

"Being a man of royalty, I'm sure you've had the greatest cuisine money can buy you. Food that invigorates you. Unlucky for you, I had food so invigorating earlier that it makes me feel ten years younger for a time. My joints don't ache. And my lungs are clear!" Joseph sucked in air. As he did a whirling whistle seemed to radiate from him. A flash of yellow light shot through the vines. Charles laid motionless on the ground.

Josuke looked down at Charles. "Is it over?"

"No. Speedwagon spoke about this once. The Hamon is currently tearing his body apart, but he's still in there, and the life in his body is making him feel pain again. Oy, open your eyes your highness."

A weak chuckle escaped his mouth. "I would say that that title is actually an old insult, but I'm sure that you're already aware of that. What are you hoping to get from talking to you? I'm still loyal to my lord, you won't get a word from me about him."

"Actually, I was only going to ask a few questions on yourself. how much of this fight will be passed on by you?"

"Ah. My allies will feel where I was killed and when."

"Why remain loyal to a vampire? And how are you out in the sun?"

"In truth, I could stay out in the sun of my own accord by covering myself with Fear of the Dark, but I'm specifically able to do so without my Fear because of a blessing from my lord. He shares his pain and his strength with us. But the world as it is right now is chaotic and without order… He wishes to bring it all under one banner, and I am sure that you cannot stop him. You said that you regained strength because you ate a specific food, but you cannot reliably use that as a combat strategy."

"Hmph, Popeye the Sailor could do it, so I don't see why I can't. But odds are that you're right, however, you looked like you were in pain before I hit you, didn't you."

Charles opened his eyes. "You're right, I did, didn't I? But how is that?"

Giorno limped over over, standing next to Joseph. "That may be because of me. I'm not a hamon user, but my powers are related to life energy. It's possible that it's similar enough to Hamon that it hurts you in the same way."

"Heh. Then perhaps you do have a chance for survival, at least for some time." He sat himself up as he began to crumble. "You all fought well, let it be said that you have the respect of Kungen Carles Den Tolfte. Now… If you don't mind, I'm going to lay down for a spell… I must confess that I feel a headache beginning to tax me…"

With those final words, the king's body fell to dust, and it drifted into the wind.

In the coming minutes, Giorno and Josuke would spend their time mending the wounds of those around them.

"Incredible. So your Crazy Diamond's healing doesn't cause any pain?"

"Eh? So your Gold Experience causes pain when it heals someone?"

"It's more along the lines of an impromptu transplant surgery, without painkillers."

Jotaro walked over next to Joseph after the two of them finishes on him. "Did Josuke protest when you asked him to bring you down to the fight?"

Joseph nodded his head. "Only for a moment. I'm glad I asked Suzi-Q to keep an eye from the window though."

Jotaro nodded his head. "Makes sense that she could see what was going on inside the sphere though since it was his stand itself. I'm not sure if Star Platinum would've caught the sword or not otherwise."

Giorno turned to the group as the others came to join them. "Our next order of business should be to change location since the enemy knows that we were somewhere near this hotel when Charles died. From there, we start making plans for when the next enemy shows up."

Jotaro started walking towards the hotel door. "I'll handle cancelling our reservations. Josuke. You, Okuyasu, and Koichi figure out where they can stay. Giorno, you and your team focus on getting everything into Mr. President. Old man, you're with me. Play the cranky old man role to hurry the cancelling along. We have a lot of work set out for us here."


	11. Chapter 11: Delays

Author's Note: Your Author is an idiot. I finished editing this short chapter awhile ago, and I went to bed. I woke up then thinking that I actually posted it. So here's Chapter 11, which I only realized that I forgot to post because I was halfway through writing Chapter 12 and had to read back through my fic to check how I phrased something. Hooray for incompetence! On the bright side, if I keep typing at my current rate, I'll have Chapter 12 out here in a few hours.

Chapter 11: Delays

"I do not understand. When I came to this country not even three months ago there was no such security of this benign nature to be seen at these 'airports' of yours."

"Sir, we need you to calm down. We're the TSA, and we're here to protect American citizens from threats. We were just instituted earlier this month."

The vampire tilted his head. "You protect your citizens from threats by slowing travel and complicating flight plans?"

"If you've been here for a few months there's no way you missed-"

The first guard was interrupted another guard walked up. "What seems to be the problem here?"

The first guard motioned to the man standing in front of them. "This man is demanding that a flight be booked for him immediately sir, to Japan. I was just explaining that we can't just do that."

The vampire cut in. "I booked the tickets 'over the phone,' as you people say, and I come here to find that the plane has been cancelled. Your American ideals have swept towards convenience at the cost of many things in the past, so why have you altered such ways now?"

The two guards looked him over for a moment before looking to each-other and whispering.

"How long has he been arguing with you?"

"About ten minutes I think. I kinda stared off for a bit while, but after I mentioned that an unregistered flight would likely be shot down, I kinda snapped back into attention."

"He was asking about taking a plane without clearance then…?"

"I can't say for sure honestly. I just kinda... got lost in his voice for a bit."

"Hm. Guy sounds foreign. Skin's pretty pale though. Recognize the accent?"

"Russian, I think. Should we detain him?"

"We don't see Russian tourists every day, poor red bastards probably don't even have the money to fly. Might be someone important. I don't want to start any sort of fiasco. Tell him sternly that he'll need to wait. If he keeps it up, we'll call the station."

The vampire snapped his fingers loudly. "If I may, is there some way to speak with someone of a higher authority that would be able to authorize a flight?"

The second guard looked back at him again for a moment. "In all honesty sir, I'm not even sure who I would call for that."

The vampire stood silently for a moment before turning and walking away. "I will return tomorrow. Find the one you must call for the authorization, or there will be consequences for your actions when my… superiors hear of this."

The first guard glanced to the vampire and then back to the other guard. "Do you… think he heard us?"

"No way. … I'll ask Jason about who we need to talk to."

As the vampire left the building, he looked up to the clouded sky as he pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing a contact on it and holding it to his ear.

"At the tone, please record your message."

"Montmorency, you-"

Beep.

"... Montmorency, please make sure that the others do not make hasty actions. We know where they are, and so now we have a trail to work with. If we charge blindly, we will likely lose others."

He flipped the phone closed, immediately opening it again and dialing a different number.

"The number you have called has been changed, disconnected, or has not been set up."

"Tch." He closed the phone as he walked towards a hotel, muttering to himself. "Far too ominous. I may lose half of them at this rate…"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Town Tour

Rohan had his arms crossed across his chest as he looked at Josuke and Koichi. "You want me to let three foreign strangers stay here?"

Koichi nodded his head. "If you refuse, we'll have to let them stay at Okuyasu's. But, we figured whether or not you accept, we could at least stop by and get you up to speed on what's going on."

Josuke glanced back at the truck. "The guy with the blonde hair is named Giorno Giovanna, and he's apparently Dio's son. Meanwhile, while all this shows up at our door, we have a vampire currently hunting us now."

"Dio's son?" Rohan glanced down at Koichi, who returned a nod to him. "And the other two?"

"The girl's an Italian pop star named Trish Una. On the ride here, the other one mentioned that she has a particular taste when it comes to what she eats and drinks. Okuyasu's been learning from Tonio, so he could cook for them, but we figured that you'd also have good food." Josuke turned back to Rohan. "As for the other guy, he's Giorno's bodyguard, Guido Mista. We should probably put out front that he's packing a revolver."

"He got a revolver through the airport? Interesting. And the fact that he has one in the first place…" Rohan tilted his head. "Guido… and Giovanna instead of Giovanni… Italian? And they have weapons... Are they involved in crime?" He saw a twitch. "Perhaps… the Mafia?"

Josuke shook his head. "Just don't get any funny ideas of using Heaven's Door on any of them. These guys mean business. Yeah, they're Mafia. But to be exact, Giorno is the current Boss of a Mafia called Passione. And they're all strong stand users."

Rohan stood, stunned for a moment. "T-The Boss? He's _**THE**_ Boss of a Mafia?!" Rohan looked towards the truck, he could see the three strangers looking at him. He couldn't deny that there was a presence about them, and Koichi wasn't raising any objections to what Josuke was saying. "Mafia… Alright, they can stay here, but I'll need to clear a couple of my rooms for them."

Koichi nodded his head. "Alright, sounds good. We'll be back in a bit, right now we're taking them around town to show them where everyone lives. With an attack almost guaranteed at some point, we want to make sure they know their way around."

He nodded back. "Alright. Then I'll get started on rooms, they should be ready by the time they get back."

As they said their goodbyes, Rohan looked again to the truck, and to Giorno looking out the window at him as Rohan spoke to himself. "A gangster- no, a GangSTAR. Heh. Well, we'll have to see what sort of stories I can get out of this."

As they drove up to their next destination, Okuyasu yelled into the back of Coco Jumbo, "Oh, Koichi, looks like your girl's home!"

When the truck came to a stop, Koichi hopped out of the room and immediately left the truck, heading over to Yukako as he began talking with her about what had been happening that day.

Trish looked out the window, "So that's Koichi's girlfriend? She's pretty."

Okuyasu tilted his rear-view mirror to look back at them. "Yeah, but just watch out, she can be pretty scary when someone tries to start trouble with Koichi."

"What, is she protective?"

"Hmm. I wouldn't quite say that. She used to be completely obsessed with him. She actually kidnapped him one time, it was pretty scary."

Mista turned his head to look up at Okuyasu as he spoke. "Woah, woah, hang on. What do you mean by Kidnap?"

"She locked him in a big house and tried to make him get better at his school lessons."

"Why'd she do that?!"

"Er- Well… She was really getting scary with her normal lessons with him after she confessed to him, so, well, me and Josuke, we uh-"

Josuke's voice came from the key on the turtle's back. "We tried slandering him while she was in earshot, to try to turn her off of him. We talked about him being a thieving delinquent and made up things like that. It ended up backfiring, like you heard. But, eventually they worked things out."

Giorno glanced out the window. "Well, Koichi is a smart guy. I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten together with her if he wasn't sure that they had come to terms with one-another in some way."

While the group talked, Yukako was handing the keys to the van to Koichi. "So, you'll be staying with Rohan this week?"

Koichi nodded his head. "Yeah. I don't want to end up accidentally bringing work home…"

A smile crossed her face. "Hm? Are you worried about me getting hurt, of all people?"

"H-hey! I know you're tough, I just don't want to track a vampire back here…"

Yukako let out a giggle before leaning in and planting a kiss on Koichi's cheek. "If you brought a vampire back here, I would just drill my hair into their skull so hard that I destroyed their head outright."

Koichi blushed at the kiss and let out a light laugh at the threat. "I suppose you're right. I'll have to keep that strategy in mind, it would give me an excuse to come back over here."

"Then I'll keep my eyes open for any long fangs hanging out of peoples' mouths … Stay safe, Koichi."

Koichi paused for a moment, seeing the concern in her face. He smiled as he brushed a bit of her hair behind her ear. "When this all gets done, how about I promise to make a reservation for us over at Tonio's? Just the two of us. Nobody would break a promise for food that good, would they?"

Yukako laughed before letting out a happy sigh. "You're right. Then, you'll have to live long enough to meet that promise, won't you? That should keep me from worrying, at least a bit."

"Then, I'll see you when all of this is over. I'll call you every night before I go to bed and let you know how things are going."

The group split across the two vehicles. Giorno, Mista, Trish, Josuke, and Shizuka piled into the van with Koichi, while Joseph, Jotaro, and Suzi-Q stayed back in the truck with Okuyasu.

Giorno looked out the window next to him. "So, where are we stopping next?"

Koichi glanced in the mirror for a moment as he thought. "Let's see. Next up should be Okuyasu's. Have you been marking the map?"

"Yeah. I'll burn it once we have it memorized."

"I would've figured that you probably would want to never touch a lighter again after our fight with Black Sabbath."

"Well, I don't carry one on me. If nothing else, we have other ways to dispose of it. Okuyasu's Stand would ensure that it couldn't be restored in any way, after all."

Mista chimed in, looking away from his window. "Oh, you guys talking about Polpo's test? Yeah, that was freaky."

"Did you keep the lighter lit, Mista?"

"Huh? Well I have a stand, don't I Giorno? Yeah, the lighter got snuffed. I thought luck was running against me because there were four guards when I went in. But I got Sex Pistols out of it, so I suppose it ended up being a good thing. I'd assumed that that was how you got Gold Experience."

"Actually, I awoke to my stand as I grew older."

"Wait, so you didn't get stabbed?"

Trish looked back and forth between the two of them from the middle seat as they spoke. "Well, I didn't need to be pierced by an arrow either."

Josuke turned in his seat, looking to the back set of seats. "I got my stand after Jotaro beat Dio. From what I understand, Dio had a stand from an arrow. Tonio awakened to his stand through his passion for cooking, so we know at least a few methods of stand awakening."

"Did I get poked by an arrow too?" Shizuka started to turn in her seat, only for Josuke to reach over and keep her facing forward.

"Stay facing forward, it's safer. We don't think you got poked, no. We assumed that you'd been lost because of your Stand"

"Act 3" Koichi took a turn as Act 3 appeared, placing its hand on the floor of the van, keeping the van steady as it turned.

Josuke raised an eyebrow, "Oi, Koichi, are you sure it's safe to use Echoes like this?"

Koichi nodded his head. "Yeah. I've gotten pretty good at controlling how much weight Act 3 places in. It keeps g-forces from dragging people to a side of the van. Here we are, Okuyasu's house. Hm? Looks like Okuyasu is getting out."

"Ah… It must be that."

"Hm? Oh, you're right, Giorno has a healing ability."

Giorno raised an eyebrow. "What do you two mean exactly?"

Koichi turned on the parking break as he switched the van off. "It might be easier to show you… We're pretty sure that Okuyasu wants you to meet his father."


	13. Chapter 13: The Roommate

Edit: I forgot the author's note. Author's Note: It's amazing how little my brain lets me do when I have all the time in the world. I was off work for multiple god-blessed months and couldn't figure out a single word to write. I go back to work for ONE DAY and suddenly all the gates open and I have a chapter made before the day passes. R.I.P. my ability to be a functional writer. Bon appetit.

Chapter 13: The Roommate

Giorno looked down at the bizarre distorted man kneeling in front of him. There was a sound coming from him; a strange, frightened sound. It reminded him of the pleads of mercy that would come from gangsters brought before him for betraying the laws of Passione, a frightened underling that suddenly realizes that their life is on the line.

Okuyasu leaned down and patted his father on the shoulder, "Hey, dad, what's the matter…?"

Mista flicked the nearby light switch on. "Geeze, coming in here you told us what he looked like, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. What the hell happened to him?"

Okuyasu paused for a moment after being asked that. "Oh, I think I know what's wrong. Giorno, do you look a lot like your old man?"

Giorno tilted his head. "At least somewhat, but the resemblance isn't too strong. Why?"

"Dio was his boss back when me and my brother were kids. I didn't really understand it as much as my brother did, but he did illegal stuff helping Dio out."

Giorno looked from Okuyasu back to Mr. Nijimura. "He worked for Dio…?"

Okuyasu pointed to the center of his forehead. "I guess Dio wasn't that trustful of the people that worked under him though, because he put a bit of his flesh on a lot of them around right here. It could poke at their brain and kill 'em if they turned on him, or make them act different. But then Jotaro killed Dio, and the things went crazy."

Giorno knelt down and placed a hand on Mr. Nijimura's other shoulder. He felt the man reflexively stiffen under his touch. "Listen to me. I am not Dio Brando. My name is Giorno Giovanna, and you don't have anything to fear from me. Look at me."

Mr. Nijimura slowly raised his head and tentatively met Giorno's gaze. There was still the familiar commanding presence that he had recognized, but looking again, he could also feel an unfamiliar compassion that he wasn't used to feeling from the same source. Steadily, he raised himself to his feet, realizing that this wasn't his former master.

Giorno looked him over carefully. "Everything's deformed, but… Okuyasu, I don't see scars anywhere. You mentioned Dio's flesh. Does that vampire flesh heal his wounds?"

Okuyasu nodded his head. "Yeah. In fact… Well, back before we knew that he was still our dad even after what happened to his brain, my brother was specifically looking for someone able to kill our dad, because he heals from any wound."

Giorno furrowed his brow. "Then… there's nothing my Gold Experience can do here."

"You sure? You haven't tried yet."

Giorno nodded his head, "Yes, I'm sure. Gold Experience doesn't heal like Crazy Diamond does, it makes replacements for missing parts and then mends them into place. If his body is already regrowing as the already-existing deformed parts, then anything normal I put in would just change into what he currently has."

"Hm… I think I get it. You're saying it would be like trying to change a drink to water, but instead of emptying the container or getting a new one, you're doing it by just adding water to it."

"Well, I guess that works as an analogy, if the container was always making the drink that you're trying to change to water, then yeah."

Okuyasu nodded his head and stood back up. "Alright then. Thanks for coming in to see if you could do anything Giorno." He waved at his father. "I'm heading out dad! See ya when I get home!"

As the three of them walked away, Mista looked back at Mr. Nijimura. "Are you really fine Okuyasu? I mean, it sounds like you've been at this for awhile."

Okuyasu shook his head. "You're right, I have been. But I know that eventually there'll be a stand user out there that could help my dad. All I gotta do is find them. I might not be that smart, but I know that I could be at it for the rest of my life. I'm fine with that, though, because he's my dad."

Giorno opened the door of the house. "That's noble. If Passione ever comes across someone that I think may be able to heal him, I'll contact you. I won't guarantee any active effort towards looking for someone, but if we happen on them, you'll be the first to know."

"That's more than I can ask from someone, so thanks Giorno. Alright, next place we drive by is Josuke's. Be sure to keep your eyes open for this one if his mom's home, she's a real hottie!"

Okuyasu let out a sigh as they pulled back up to Rohan's a short time later, "I guess she wasn't home."

Rohan opened the door after hearing the vehicles pull up. He watched as the three Italians and Koichi got out of the vehicles and walked his way. "Back from driving around already? Well, I got two rooms clear at least."

"That should be fine." Giorno looked Rohan up and down, settling his eyes on meeting his gaze. Giorno was accustomed to reading individuals, but the man standing in front of him was proving harder to read than most. "Giorno Giovanna."

"Rohan Kishibe, manga artist and writer. You don't need to introduce yourselves, I've heard about the three of you already. Come in." As the group walked, Rohan took note of the turtle they were carrying. "The guest rooms are at the end of that hall straight ahead, one on each side. The restrooms are that door over there and the first door at the top of the stairs. Do you have food for your pet already?"

"Rohan, that's-"

"Yes, we do," Giorno cut Koichi off, "He eats lettuce, which we have plenty of."

Rohan looked into Giorno's eyes, keeping a steady gaze. "Then that should be fine. Tell me Giorno, what's a crime lord doing with a pet turtle?"

"We're watching over it for an ally of ours," Giorno lied, "one of my men got sick, and I take care of my men."

"Oh? You don't seem surprised that I called you a crime lord."

"When we were here earlier, you looked shocked when Koichi and Josuke were talking with you. I assumed that that was when our 'occupations' were told."

"Oh? You were reading me from out in the truck then?" Rohan stepped closer to Giorno, their eyes still locked. "And what can you read right now, Giorno Giovanna?"

"A predator, sizing up his prey. A manga artist and writer you said? Then, I would assume that it's stories that you're on the hunt for."

A grin crossed Rohan's face, "That's right."

"I was afraid of this." Koichi sighed as he opened one of the bedroom doors. "Hey, you two'll have plenty of time for mind games after we've settled in."

The two stayed locked in place for a few moments longer, before Giorno stepped past Rohan. "He's right. There are more important things to take care of at the moment."

Rohan nodded his head, not looking to him. "Of course. But, Giorno?"

"Yes?"

"I will find out your gang's story eventually, one way or another. You know that, right?"

"Hm. I wonder if you will. But I do know one thing. Host or not, with the animosity I feel from you, I have no intention of giving our stories willingly." Giorno walked towards the bedrooms. "The three of us have leftovers from Tonio's that we'll be eating, no need to cook supper for us. Goodnight, Rohan Kishibe."

"Goodnight, Giorno Giovanna."


	14. Chapter 14: Full House

Author's Note: Wow, two chapters within a week of one-another? That hasn't happened in like six months. … Oh god I've been at this for almost a year. I need to kick myself into gear. Enjoy the chapter, and may you have Great Days.

Here's hoping that this marks the return of updates at least bi-weekly, or weekly on weeks where work isn't a pain. God I wish I could write full-time.

Chapter 14: Full House

"Hey, old man, do you want me to set the suitcase down over here?"

"Hm? Ah, that'll be fine, thank you Josuke."

Josuke sighed as he set the case down. "Geeze. We went through the trouble of setting the others up with Rohan, but we still ended up dropping in at Okuyasu's."

"It can't be helped," Jotaro stood at the window, "We can't afford to be divided into too many groups, especially with only a couple of fighters that can actually hurt these vampires."

"You mean one fighter." Joseph leaned on his cane, letting the floor creak beneath him. "I might've had a moment in the spotlight and had some cockiness about it, but I can't breathe well enough to normally use hamon these days. I may've boasted in the fight, but it's right to say that I won't have ease of access to Tonio's every day, and there's no guarantee that it'll always work to that effect. Really, Giorno is our best weapon in this case."

"Speaking of Giorno… Star Platinum: The World." Jotaro suddenly appeared closer to the others. "Alright, it seems that we're out of Gold Experience Requiem's range. We still need to figure out exactly how far that is though. While I got some use out of Gold Experience distorting my time stop, it'll be better to know when I can use it like normal."

Josuke thought for a moment. "Could I use Crazy Diamond to send their bodies back to when they weren't Vampires?"

Jotaro shook his head. "I thought about that. Your stand hasn't ever shown the capacity to revert a body's age, just changing wounds."

"That's true. Oh! But if we can pummel their body out of shape, I can make it heal incorrectly to leave them stuck in a deformed state. They'll be able to break themselves back into place, but it would at least slow them down for a moment."

"That'll definitely help, but I imagine that you'll only be able to get away with that once per fight."

"No, he might be able to get it off multiple times, Jotaro," Joseph gently let himself down onto the nearby couch, "If Koichi is also slowing them down with Echoes, they probably won't be able to respond fast enough to retaliate. We could use that as a way to lock them in place."

Josuke shook his head. "You're right, but we can't reliably say that we'll be together during the next vampire attack. If anything, we should plan around me slowing them down while Okuyasu scrapes away at them."

Joseph was struggling trying to get his hand around the cap of a water bottle. "That's a good point. Okuyasu might also be able to finish a vampire off, if he manages to destroy their head."

Jotaro walked over and pulled the bottle cap off. "Then I'll focus on using The World to get anyone away from a life-threatening counterattack in that case."

Joseph nodded his head and took a sip from the bottle. "That'll be our best bet for surviving, since they seem to just bounce back from a normal flurry of blows."

The front door opened, and in walked Okuyasu, Suzi-Q, and Shizuka.

"We're home!" Okuyasu called out, his arms filled with grocery bags.

Shizuka ran over to the couch and climbed onto it, sitting next to Joseph. "We got a lot of food! So much of it!"

"Is that so?" Joseph smiled at her, "Well, I hope you got some for us too."

"Don't be silly, we did! Okuyasu picked out a bunch of ingrednts for cooking."

"Oh? What's an ingrednt? Is it a kind of fruit?"

"Papa, no-"

"I hope it isn't too sour."

"In-gre-di-ents."

"Oh, ingredients! Well why didn't you say so in the first place Shizuka?"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"I'd never dream of it, dear."

"You're lying!"

"Me? Joseph Joestar? Your papa? Lying? To you? My heart can't take this kind of attack, Shizuka!"

Josuke walked over to the couch. "Keep up the onslaught Shizuka, you've got him on the ropes."

"You're a liar! You're mean! You make fun of me!"

With each statement, Joseph made an exaggerated movement, as if he'd been hit. "Oh No! Mercy!"

"No mercy! You just said 'no mercy' so I won't give mercy!"

Joseph slouched back where he sat. "Then it's over, my own daughter defeated me"

Suzi-Q giggled as she walked past with Okuyasu. "Me and Okuyasu are going to go get everything put away in the kitchen. I don't like seeing this violence being used on my husband. Shizuka, darling, maybe you'll give him mercy if I ask for it? Pretty please?"

"Well… if mama wants me to give mercy, I guess I'll give mercy."

"Thank you, darling! Alright, we'll be back in a few."

"Oi, Okuyasu," Josuke chimed in, "What's on the menu tonight?"

"I'll be making some ramen from scratch with some mexican-inspired preparation of the meat. Tonio taught me the spice mix last week and I've been meaning to try it out."

Joseph breathed in a fake sigh of relief as the two of them went to the kitchen, "My life has been spared."

Shizuka crossed her arms over her chest, "for NOW."

Josuke let out a laugh, "You hear that, old man? She says that you're spared for now, but she could end you at any moment."

"Yeah, I heard, I guess I'm stuck walking on a tightrope over a layer of thin ice."

Shizuka giggled, "papa, I don't think you can use your cane while walking on a rope."

"Oh No, she's right, I'm doomed."

"Well…" Shizuka thought for a moment, "I guess I'll let Josuke catch you. I don't want you to fall through the ice."

"Oh? But what if Josuke falls through the ice when he catches me?"

"Then I'll cry!"

"You won't shed a tear for me, your dear papa, but you'll shed tears for your brother? That's cold Shizuka, colder than the ice that I'm currently balancing over!"

Shizuka stuck her tongue out at Joseph and hopped off the couch. "I'm gonna go see what Mama and Okuyasu are doing!"

As Shizuka stomped off into the kitchen, Josuke sat down on the couch. "Shouldn't we have had them stay somewhere away from us?"

Joseph shook his head. "They'd be in danger of being used against us as hostages the moment an enemy found them since they'd stand out as foreigners. They're in danger here with us, but better to be in danger where we can protect them than in danger out of our reach."

Jotaro placed the cap back on Joseph's bottle. "The four of us should be able to handle ourselves in case of a vampire attack, and so should the others. They have Koichi and Mista to slow an enemy down, Rohan to immobilize an enemy, Trish to deflect damage, and Giorno to finish a vampire off. Tomorrow we'll meet back up with them and figure out more potential mixed strategies for when we're together. For now, let's rest and regain some strength."


End file.
